How to Lay Laminate Floors

Putting down laminate floors--especially snap-in or snap-together laminate floor tiles--is a little like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The only difference is you know where all the pieces are going to fit. You don’t have to keep trying until you get the right ones. For the purpose of this article, it will be assumed that any old flooring has been removed, repairs to the sub-flooring (if necessary) have been made, and any “underlayment” (the stuff the flooring will actually be laid down on) has been installed or put down. Read on to learn how to lay laminate floors.

Things You'll Need

• Snap-in or snap-together laminate floor tiles in your choice of style, color and pattern
• Rubber mallet or other soft-headed hammer
• Tape measure
• Power or hand saw with fine-tooth blade

Instructions

1. Beginning on either side of the room, lay down the first row of laminate floor tiles.

2. Carefully remove the parts of the tile that would have snapped into the next set of tile (sometimes called the “tongues") so that the tile will fit flush against the wall.

3. If necessary, use your tape measure to determine if it will be necessary to cut any of the tile itself to fit against the wall, if removing the “tongues” did not allow for a snug fit. Then, using your fine-tooth saw carefully cut the pieces of tile to fit. If you do not have to make any more adjustments to the tile after removing the “tongues” proceed to Step 4.

4. Position the second row of laminate floor tiles, and snap them firmly into the notches on the side of the first row of tiles. Make sure the tiles are securely fastened to each other.

5. Use the rubber mallet or soft-headed hammer to GENTLY tap the fastening portions into place, and to seat the tile more firmly.

6. Continue in this manner until all the laminate flooring has been installed.

7. When you reach the wall on the other side of the room, repeat Step 2.

8. If necessary, repeat Step 3 to ensure the tiles fit snugly against all walls in the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy at least one extra box of tile so that you will have replacement pieces.

• Inspect each piece of tile before you lay it. If a piece is damaged, you can replace it with an undamaged piece,

• You can also use a damaged piece of tile as a wall piece, especially if you have to cut the tile to make it fit. Depending on where the damage is located, you might be able to cut out that part.

• Allow yourself plenty of time. Even though installing laminate floors of this type is easy, bending, stooping, and crawling will get tiring. Take breaks when you need them.

• If you do have to cut the tile, wear eye and hand protection.

• Be careful when snapping the pieces together. They can cause a nasty pinch if skin is caught between the fasteners.

• Be careful when removing the “tongues” from the wall pieces. They may snap off quickly, and could cause injury. You might want to wear eye protection when performing this part of the project.